Ball-bearing wheel.



110.856.634. PATENTBD JUNE 11. 1907.

I. J. & H. J. HANSEN.

BALL BEARING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED D110. 11, 1906.

UNITED STATES i Parana oFFIoE.

FRANK J. HANSEN AND AHANS J. HANSEN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

BALL-BEARING WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application tiled December 17, 1906. Serial No. 348,288.

land I-IANs J. HANSEN, citizens of the United States, residing atMinneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-Bearing lVheels;and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Qur invention has for its object to provide an 11'11 roved ball bearingwheel and axle, es-

)ecial y adaptedfor use on what is generally nown to the trade asgravity carriers or conveyers, and to this end it consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and detined inthe claims.

`The invention is illustrated in the accompanying (,lrawings, whereinlike characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, showingthe improved wheel,- and axle; and Fig. 2 is a section taken through thewheel on the line :r2 :v2 of Fig. 1,

. the axle being shown in full.

The numeral l indicates an axle which, as shown, is in the form of ashort trunnion having a threaded end 2 which is adapted to be screwedinto a suitable body or support (not shown). T his axle 1, at itsintermediate "portion, is provided with an annular flange or tixedperipheral collar 3.

' T he wheel is made up of two similar and approximately reversesections 4 that are )referably rigidly secured together by rivets :i andare provided with an annular lock joint 6 formed by an annular iiange onthe one member that engages a corresponding groove in the other member.Outward of the joint 6, the wheel members 4 diverge outward from eachother and are then bent u on themselves inward and brought into c oseengagement at their outer edges to form the rim of the wheel. The innerportions of said wheel members 4 are perforated at 7 to Clear the axle 1and just inward of said perfora- Hons they are bulged outward thenextended parallel to each other to form ball runways 8 on the oppositesides of the flange or collar 3 Of the axle. Bearing balls 9, of whichthere are two series, work between the ball runways 8 of the wheel, andthe axle 1 and vertical edges of the collar or tiange 3 of'said axle. Itwill thus be seen that the balls t) have two points of contact with theaxle and two oints of contact with the hub of the whee and it is very imortant to note that one series of bearing bal s is located on each sideof a plane that intersects the center of the wheel at an angle of 90degrees to its axis. This disposition of the two series of bearing ballst) gives great lateral stability to the wheel and, furthermore,distributes the strain on a very large number of balls. The joint 6axially alines the wheel sections 4.

`It is, of course, evident that when the two sections of. the wheel aresecured together, the bearing balls are irremovably held in workingpositions. lf desired, ot course, screws or bolts might be substitutedfor the rivets 5, in which ease the. sections of the wheel could be moreeasily taken apart.

When the wheel is applied to the track of a gravitv eonvever, the axlesl or rather the threaded ends thereof, would be screwed into the trackrails or other parts rigid with respect to the track. When the saidwheel is a plied to a traveling carrier such as a truck, the said axleshould, of course, be secured to such moving body. The .so-called wheelmight, ofcourse, be treated as a pulley and might serve the function ofa pulley or sheave.

The device described, while ot` small cost and easily constructed, isvery ellicient for the pur )oses had in view. The wheel seetions 4 arepreferably stamped by dies from sheets of steel.

What we.claim is:

l. A wheel made up of two sections 4 rigidly united at theirintermediate portions, the inner portions ol' said sections beingpressed outward at S to form ball runways,

and the outer portions thereof being pressed outward and then turnedinward to l'orm the rim ol' the wheel, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an axle having an intermediate collar or annulartlange, ot' a Wheel made up of two wheel sections 4 rig- In testimonywhereof we aiix oursignnidlr connected at their interete portures inpresence of two witnesses.

tions, provided with reversely bulged riln- FRANK J H NSEN formingportions and with reversely bulged HAS J ASFN,

b ball runways in its hub portion, and bearing l l balls interposedbetween said axle and the- 'Witnesses f ball runways of the hub of saidWheel, subk 4 MALIE HOEL, stantially as described. l F. D. MERCHANT.

